Calves in transport Photographer/Filmmaker: Jo-Anne McArthur

Today I’ve been thinking of the way those who seek to justify continued exploitation of other individuals  – including industry supporters who promote themselves as ‘representing victim interests’ – habitually grasp at any available straws, and the way in which, as advocates we have to be aware that diversionary tactics are ultimately not tackling the root of a problem. So here’s a spoiler. When it comes to the exploitation of nonhumans, that root is always ‘speciesism’ and the solution is to end all exploitation of other individuals. If an article doesn’t point that out, it’s not ‘representing victim interests’. 

So – that all sounds a bit obscure, doesn’t it? Well I’ll explain. Recent posts about the plight of calves exploited by the dairy industry have provided several examples of what I’m talking about.  Now don’t get me wrong, what’s done to calves is utterly…